Softened Rain
by Shin Il-Na
Summary: "You know, maybe there's something in the rain in this town after all." She nodded proudly at her own evaluation, completely ignoring the flabbergasted staring from the male's. "If I had doubt's before, I certainly do not now." Musing to herself now, Also ignoring the incredulous expressions and stuttering going on. "Magical rain huh.." She mumbled, way too amused with the thought.


Rain splattered loudly against passerby's open umbrella's, heavy drops falling onto open clear puddles near the closed shops. The murky clouds combining, now appearing darker than the actual hour of early evening. Lights shimmered to and from in forms of reflecting faded red, multiple vehicle's slowly ceasing to a stop beneath the stop light. Behind a chattering family hurriedly jogging to the other side to escape from the heavy shower, a slim figure calmly walks forward with her clear umbrella perched against one shoulder.

She raised her head slightly, dark coffee almost black orbs reflecting the shady cloud's formation change slowly. A blissful sigh escape's her pale lips, further preceding in a lighter manner. Oh how she love's these type's of weather's. The cool wind which tease's her redwood thick hair that she always keep's in a pair of long braid's that reach past her waist. Or the sound of rain that accompanies her silent disposition.

She reached the sidewalk just in time for a few moments later the light snapped back to the bright green, car's motor's outshining even the heavy downpour for a second. Her feature's turned into a grimace when she felt the water from the road's slipping past her, dampening her black flat's. She shouldn't have worn them today...dammit.

But the cold moister is nothing, though she hope's she wont catch anything by far...She nodded to herself in determination, lips turning upwards when the wind swept by softly, swaying her braids around.

It was really a good choice to go out today nevertheless...black dyed eye's glanced downward's as she shifted the straight hand holding a large white bag of food's. Today was the last day to get certain nutriment's for herself _and _her small roommate, so she killed two birds with one rock. Enjoying the weather plus buying some necessity. Her lips turned upwards while passing by the silent dark closed shop's, straying closer to the shops to avoid the multiple people walking on both directions with coverage from the rapid weather.

The shoe's made a squishy sound with each step she made, and she couldn't help but chuckle under her breath at the sound, purposely stepping a bit harder on the wet gravel. The light blue jean from the bottom of her ankles had darkened to a damp blue by now, no thanks to her playful steps of splashing. A simple black t-shirt was hidden beneath an ebony kimono like over-shirt, pale pink Sakura flowing around in simple patterned twirls. Obviously the thin layer was comfortable around her upper figure, some falling over her bottom.

As she was fixing her kimono shirt on the back, she tilted to the side to let a lady talking on the phone walk by. Her eyes glanced around tentatively, searching for a spot to take a minute break.

Not that it was much of a break, but there were too many people around coming and going for her liking. She held back a frustrated sigh and turned her head back and forth, looking for any kind of dry spot.

It was a low chance and she definitely would have missed it if she didn't backtrack and glance again. And sure enough it was actually there. Right...under a small roof to a cafe, she supposed due to the colorful papers and the bright letters of 'something "_cafe_", there lay a small ball of unusual bright orange. Her dark orbs blinked before slowly squinting, blinking multiple time's just in case she was confused. But alas, because of her horrible eyesight to see from far, she couldn't identify if it was an actual animal in need or just an object thrown out...hopefully whatever it is, is alive though, she couldn't bear to see yet another animal thrown out anywhere on streets just because owners couldn't care for them or they were a 'hassle'. Her thoughts made her eyebrows narrow in silent fury making her steps hurry slightly in worry.

She bit her bottom lip while slowly approaching the object of her feelings. Her eyes narrowed when her sight adjusted to the small moving of raising and falling from the animal. She sucked in a painful non-audible gasp, vision watering from what she was staring at now. The feline's ear twitched from the abrupt sound, his head that was curled up to his body snapping up to-glare? Yes, he seemed to narrow his rather unique ruby large orbs, a dangerous low hiss directed to the non-caring figure as she just tilted her head, blinking past tears and biting her bottom lip to control her emotions.

They always teased her for being so sensitive towards animals but she couldn't help it, she loves those living things more than anything so if there is any chance in which she could help, she'd take it.

At least he wasn't bleeding, the poor feline looked as if he had just been into a cat fight and barely made it out alive. With those dirty spots all over his body and the fact that he seemed to be favoring his front left paw.

"Are you alright honey?" Her eyebrows narrowed upwards in panic while crouching down, a loud hiss answered her. She payed no mind to it. "What kind of owner would even do this...!" She grumbled, then huffed out angrily.

A paw with claws slashed out close to her knee with a warning hiss then jumped back in-front of the bundle of damp clothes, the hiss ringing low as his crimson narrowed orbs stayed glaring at her. She smiled slightly. Then rapidly raised and jogged lightly right pass the cat. He blinked bewildered before narrowing his eyes once more and seeming to grumble to himself as he stomped to his bundle, laying down over them in the same position he was in.

* * *

"Elibell, am home!" The soft voice resonated throughout the apartment room with some shifting, the sound of a door closing soon afterwards. Plats soon follow and from the inside of a small white kitchen appear's a large white duck, rapidly closing in on the happily chuckling 5"0" figure who crouched on her knee's and hugged the happily quacking large duck. Petting her on the head with her now free hand, then standing back up and calmly putting the white bag inside her grey refrigerator.

"Ill be right back okay? I have to get something very important." She smiled and patted Elibell on the head once more before lightly jogging out of her apartment, the door closing on a very confused white duck.

"Did you think you'd get rid of me _that _fast?" The cat's ear's twitched before his head raised in a whiplash and he glared, _again, _at her, though the hiss was less violent now. No, no, now he only seemed weary and suspicious if his cautious glaring and rigid body had anything to do with it. Though she breathed a sigh of relief when it seemed he didn't jump up in a frenzy like last time, this time he's still in his laid position over the wet clothes, head paying its utmost attention to the smiling female figure a few feet away from him. She crouched down like a few minutes ago and put her crossed arms over her knee's, stretching out a pale slim hand towards him slowly, watching as his narrowed eyes tracked the movement before she stopped a few inches away from him.

She rested her head on her shoulder and smiled kindly. "Come on kitty, you cant stay here forever, your gonna die in this weather." Her dark eyes narrowed in worry, her lips turning downwards when the frozen wide eyed cat only seemed to unfreeze from whatever shocked state he was in and hissed lowly, sliding back more to the cafe wall. Even smacking his tail angrily next to him, as if to make a point.

"But I don't want you to die." She stated firmly with a tiny frown, looking genuinely upset. The cat froze again with widened ruby eyes, looking at her in confusement and something else. She continued to stare deeply at the feline, wondering if he was one of those genius animals because it honestly seemed like he was understanding everything she was saying. Rarely would an animal make any of those reactions, she would know since she _has _saved a lot of strays in the past years of her life.

The hiss from the stray in front of her snapped her out of her calculations, ebony squinted orbs meeting narrowed crimson ones. She took a deep breath to calm herself for the fight that's about to come in seconds. Then let it out through her nose, raising her head with a bright smile on her face, the cat flinching back in bewilderment over the change in attitude.

"Your either going to come with me like a nice boy, or I take you by force." Her eyes turned into crescent shapes, smiling down at the frozen wide eyed feline. Before a few seconds he understood and began hissing loudly, she thinks its a very strong protest to what she just said, even swaying his paw close to her or around, stomping his clawed paw on the bundle of clothes since he stood up in complete irritation.

She raised an eyebrow and leaned her cheek to her palm, waiting for the cat to calm down. So it seem's he _does _understand...that was just a small test and he passed wonderfully on her radius. How can anyone abandon such an adorable feisty little fellow though? He may be a bit rough around the edges but she bet's he's a real sweet one if he likes the person. She raised her other eyebrow, joining the other as her smile widened by a fracture, amused by the ongoing hissing rants. My goodness.

He halted abruptly, huffing in and out. Narrowed angry orbs glaring her down. She shook her head a bit in amusement. "Are you done?" She tilted her head towards her palm, observing as he huffed out angrily, then stayed silent though the glare didn't change. She grinned. "Your a really smart fellow huh...reacting to everything I've said so far.." His eyes widened in shock and caution, then rapidly shifting back to a glare, though his body now seemed more stiff at the innocent comment. "I wonder who would abandon such a cute guy like you though." Her lips shifted to a sulking pout, eyes narrowing. He hissed. Though she theorized that he's just a shy little guy.

"Alright!" She clapped her palms together, causing the feline to flinch. Standing up abruptly she smiled brightly at the cat. "I'll take care of you for now until your all better, then we can go find your owner, alright?" She put an index finger up, musing as his expression changed from frozen wide eyed to an baffled expression. Truly unique indeed.

* * *

"Elibell, am back again!" Her voice ringed out, shadowing the large hisses and loud meow's of her fellow orange cat that she held between both arms, tightly holding the now soaking wet cat and his bundle since he seemed to put up more of a fight when she questioned out loud to herself if she should leave the clothes for good. Maybe it was from his last home? Or owner considering the clothes were male.

The quacking of the familiar female duck interrupted the stray's loud protest's by surprising him into silence for a few seconds when the large duck was freaking larger than himself! It honestly was the best entertainment for her in the past few week's. Ah, he began meowing again, less hisses this time as she slowly walked to her bathroom, petting her duck on the head on the way while holding the lowly hissing narrowed eyed orange cat on the other hand. He appeared to have accepted his fate by now. Izanami Hiroyomi smiled down at the grumbling cat, chuckling under her breath.

Of course, cats having perfect hearing and she has the glaring up at her orange feline, baring his fangs in attempt it seemed.

Ah, too bad Izanami could care less if they bite her or scratch at her, if the result is them being saved then its worth it. And with those thoughts, she closed the door to the bathroom with a click of the lock. If he's as smart as she think's he is then shes taking all precaution.

He flinched and ruffled about harsher, hear this-without his nails. If he use's his nails she would have instinctively let him go from the surprise and pinched hurt but apparently since he deemed that she wasn't a danger, he didn't want to hurt her. How sweet. Her features softened into a warm smile, caressing the kitty softly on the head as he froze stiffly before slowly relaxing, his eyes almost halfway down from the petting.

"There you go, am just gonna give you a shower, then fix your paw." Her calm voice seemed to snap him out of whatever relaxed state he was in from her smooth hands. He meowed loudly, snapping his tail harshly against her arm holding him. She pouted but let him go slowly on the ground, watching him shake his head out of whatever thoughts entered his mind. He turned his head here and there, probably looking for an exit or just observing the clean light blue bathroom.

Opening the hot water, she reached and shut the hole on the bathtub, waiting for the warm water to fill up a certain degree.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**Disclaimer: Non own nothing at all...except Elibell and Izanami. Chiao-su! **(。⌒∇⌒)。


End file.
